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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28985730">A Painted Love Letter</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>It Won’t Be Long Now (Vanessa) [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>In the Heights - Miranda/Hudes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:27:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>303</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28985730</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>An expression of love isn’t always words.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Usnavi/Vanessa (In the Heights)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>It Won’t Be Long Now (Vanessa) [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2017418</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Painted Love Letter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Mm-mm-mm,” Vanessa hums softly. She carefully swipes her paintbrush over her cardboard. Usnavi watches contentedly, bouncing a little, just happy to see her happy.</p><p>“Whatcha painting?” He asks. Vanessa shrugs embarrassedly. Usnavi catches the small smile and flush on her cheeks. “Another sunset?” He guesses. Vanessa nods.</p><p>“Yeah, but a sunrise,” She corrects. Usnavi chuckles cheerfully, but quietly.</p><p>“Who’s watching it this time?” He curiously wonders. Vanessa always adds someone watching the sun. He’s pretty sure it reminds her of when she would watch the sunrise and sunset on whoever’s fire escape she happened to be on that day. Her painted suns are never seen from the same place.</p><p>“El pájaro.” Vanessa gestures to a thin line vaguely shaped like a slanted roof where a bird will soon be perched. Usnavi grins and kisses her hair before retreating to the couch. He’ll give her some room to work. Usnavi plucks out a few chords, slowly piecing together a happy melody. Vanessa secretly sings along with it, her tongue poking out of her mouth.</p><p>“Hmm-la-la,” She sings. Usnavi is overjoyed when he hears her.</p><p>“A little louder, mi preciosa,” Usnavi encourages. Vanessa obliges, and after a few minutes holds up a beautiful sunrise. It’s a little rough, but it has a gentle air to it that Usnavi feels. It reminds him of Vanessa.</p><p>“Mira,” She points out. There, lightly perched on the roof is a whole family of birds, several of them. Two singing to each other, one fluttering just above the others, and many others. The ones that catch Usnavi’s eye, though, have wings touching. One a little smaller than the rest. One all cuddled up. And another. It’s wearing a hat.</p><p>“It’s wonderful,” Usnavi tells Vanessa, pulling her close. She rests her head on his shoulder.</p><p>“I know,” She agrees. “This is.”</p>
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